Management system, device, and server for controlling mesh network

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure discloses a management system, including an access point, a plurality of docking station devices, and a backend server. Each docking station device includes an interface, a sensor, a wireless sensor network transceiver circuit, a Wi-Fi transceiver circuit, and a control circuit. The interface is configured to couple electronic devices. The sensor is configured to measure a value. The wireless sensor network transceiver circuit is configured to receive and transmit data from and to the other docking station devices. The Wi-Fi transceiver circuit is configured to receive and transmit data from and to the access point. The backend serve is communicatively connected to the access point and one or several of the docking station devices. The docking station devices are communicatively connected to each other to form a mesh network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No.17/444,387, filed on Aug. 4, 2021, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/131,327, filed Dec. 29, 2020, thedisclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a management system and method forcontrolling mesh network. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to a management system and method including an access point, aplurality of docking station devices, and a backend server.

Description of Related Art

Various needs exist in the area of modern workspace management. Forexample, all of the company's computers have to connect to the networkand perform efficient data transmission, staff's attendance must berecorded every day, and the company must prevent its confidentialinformation from being stored in electronic devices and taken out byemployees. These needs are usually satisfied by using multiple differentdevices, instead of a single device.

SUMMARY

The invention provides a management system including an access point, aplurality of docking station devices, and a backend server. The accesspoint is configured to receive and transmit data according to a Wi-Fiprotocol. Each of the docking station devices includes an interface, asensor, a wireless sensor network transceiver circuit, a Wi-Fitransceiver circuit, and a control circuit. The interface is configuredto couple one or a plurality of electronic devices. The sensor isconfigured to measure a value. The wireless sensor network transceivercircuit is configured to receive and transmit data from and to the otherdocking station devices primarily according to a short-distance orlow-energy wireless network communication protocol. The Wi-Fitransceiver circuit is configured to receive and transmit data from andto the access point according to a Wi-Fi protocol. The control circuitis coupled to the interface, the sensor, the wireless sensor networktransceiver circuit, and the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit. The backendserver is configured to be communicatively connected to the access pointand one or more of the docking station devices. The docking stationdevices are configured to be communicatively connected to each otherthrough the wireless sensor network transceiver circuits to form a meshnetwork.

The invention also provides a management method including determiningwhether the number of a plurality of nodes is smaller than N, and, ifnot, dividing the nodes into a plurality of groups, wherein each of thegroups has the nodes of less than N; selecting one or more of the nodesin each group as one or a plurality of hub nodes according to strengthor relay hops of wireless signal; determining whether the number of thehub nodes in each group is smaller than a minimum number of hub nodes,and, if yes, selecting one or more of the nodes as the new hub node(s);finding a plurality of relay nodes in the groups according to the numberof relay hops of each nodes; and determining whether any of the hubnodes has a transmission loading greater than a transmission threshold,and, if yes, selecting one or more of the nodes as the new hub node(s).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the followingdetailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to theaccompanying drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of multiple docking station devices inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a management method in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a beacon tag device in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a management method in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a management method in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a management method in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a management system in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a management method in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of theinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in thedrawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

The terms used in this specification generally have their ordinarymeanings in the art, within the context of the invention, and in thespecific context where each term is used.

As used in the present disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,”“having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understoodto be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limiting to. Inaddition, as used in the present disclosure, the term “and/or” includesany and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected to,” “coupled to,” or “electrically connected to” anotherelement, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element orintervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element isreferred to as being “directly connected to,” “directly coupled to,” or“directly electrically connected to” another element, there is nointervening element present. In addition, when an element is referred toas being “communicatively connected to” another element, it can beindirectly or directly connected to the other element through wire orwireless communication. Moreover, it will be understood that, althoughthe terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describevarious elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms.These terms are used to distinguish one element from another.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure are used to manage aworkspace, the attendance of employees, and/or data security. Pleaserefer to FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a management system100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. A buildingBUD is a building used as a workspace that has multiple floors. FIG. 1illustrates an Nth floor FLN and an (N+1)^(th) floor FLN+1 as examples.Each floor includes multiple tables that are assigned to and used byemployees during working hours. For example, the Nth floor FLN includestables TAB4˜TAB6, and the (N+1)^(th) floor FLN+1 includes tablesTAB1˜TAB3. It should be noted that the numbers of floors and tables inFIG. 1 are merely exemplary and do not intend to limit the embodimentsof the present disclosure.

In the actual situation, employees often bring their laptops to work andmight need to use an extra screen, to connect to the company's localarea network or the Internet, to project his/her laptop screen to alarger screen, to connect to power supply, or to check in, andmultifunctional docking stations mounted on their tables can assistemployees to output their screens to the other monitors, to connect tothe company's network, to check in or out, and to better manage theirseats. Thus, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, each of thetables TAB1˜TAB6 includes a docking station devices 110. In order toconnect employees' computers to the network, the docking station device110 on each table has to connect to each other and to the externalInternet. The embodiments below describe how multiple docking stationdevices 110 can form a mesh network among them and connect to externalnetwork.

The present disclosure provides a management system. Please refer toFIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a management system 200 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementsystem 200 includes an access point AP, a plurality of docking stationdevices 110, and a backend server 120. The access point AP is configuredto receive and transmit data according to a Wi-Fi protocol. The dockingstation 110 includes an interface 112, a sensor 114, a wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1, a Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1, anda control circuit CTC1.

The interface 112 is configured to connect to one or more electronicdevices, e.g., a laptop, a universal serial bus (USB) device, a monitor,a mouse, an earphone, a cell phone, and/or a keyboard. In someembodiments, the interface 112 includes a universal serial bus interfaceand/or a display interface (e.g., HDMI or DP). The present disclosurewill describe the interface 112 in more detail below. The sensor 114 isconfigured to measure a value, e.g., network flow, electric current,and/or strength of received signal strength indication (RSSI), in orderto measure the network flow or electricity consumption of a specifictable or to help employees check in or out. In some embodiments, thesensor 114 includes a network flow counter, a current sensor, and/or aradio frequency identification receiver. The present disclosure willdescribe the sensor 114 in more detail below.

The wireless sensor network (WSN) transceiver circuit WSN1 is configuredto receive and transmit data from and to other docking station devices110 primarily according to a short-distance or low-energy wirelessnetwork communication protocol. For example, the wireless sensor networktransceiver circuit WSN1 can be a Bluetooth communication circuit, aBluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication circuit, or a Zigbee or Threadcommunication circuit. The Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 is configuredto receive and transmit data from and to the access point AP accordingto a Wi-Fi protocol. In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi transceiver circuitWFT1 adopts a Wi-Fi wireless network protocol. In some embodiments, theelectricity consumed by the wireless sensor network transceiver circuitWSN1 during standby and communication is relatively low compared withthe Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1. The wireless sensor networktransceiver circuit WSN1 is more suitable for long-term short-distancetransmission of package of low frequency band. On the other hand, thetransmission distance and speed of the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 isgreater than the transmission distance and speed of the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1. The Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 ismore suitable for long-distance transmission of packages of highfrequency band. The control circuit CTC1 is coupled to the interface112, the sensor 114, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuitWSN1, and the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1. The control circuit CTC1is configured to process signals received from other components in thedocking station device 110 and command other components to conductspecific operation. In one embodiment, the control circuit CTC1 is aprocessor. In one embodiment, the control circuit CTC1 and the othercomponents are embedded or implemented in a device different from adocking device, and the function of the present disclosure can still beperformed.

In one embodiment, the management system 200 is adapted to manage orcontrol multiple docking station devices 110. Please refer to FIG. 3 .FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of multiple docking station devices 110 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodimentshown in FIG. 3 includes multiple docking station devices 110, and eachof the docking station devices 110 includes the interface 112, thesensor 114, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, theWi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1, and the control circuit CTC1.

The following paragraphs describe the data transmission of themanagement system 200. Please refer to FIG. 2 again. In the managementsystem 200, the docking stations 110 are connected to each other throughtheir own wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 and form amesh network. The mesh network is a network in which devices or nodesare linked together, branching off other devices or nodes. The meshnetwork creates multiple routes for information to travel amongconnected nodes. This approach increases the resilience of the networkin case of a node or connection failure. In a full mesh network, eachnode is connected directly to all the other nodes. In a partial mesh,only some nodes connect directly to one another. In some cases, a nodemust go through another node to reach a third node. The docking stationdevices 110 perform data transmission through this mesh network. Thebackend server 120 is communicatively connected to the access point APand one or more of the docking station devices 110. Specifically, thebackend server 120 is communicatively connected to the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1 of at least one docking station device110, so the backend server 120 can transmit data or signal to the atleast one docking station device 110 first and then transmit to otherdocking station devices 110 through the mesh network formed between theat least one docking station device 110 and the other docking stationdevices 110.

In practice, the docking station device 110 receives data from anotherdevice through the interface 112, the sensor 114, the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1, and/or the Wi-Fi transceiver circuitWFT1, and then transmits the received data according to the destinationthrough the mesh network or the Internet. If the destination of datatransmission is covered by the mesh network formed among the dockingstation devices, the data can be transmitted to the destination throughthe mesh network. If the destination of data transmission is not coveredby the mesh network, the backend server 120 sends a selecting signal SS0to the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 of one dockingstation device 110 in order to select that docking station device as ahub node. The wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 of thedocking station device 110 re-sends the selecting signal SS0 to itscontrol circuit CTC1, and the control circuit CTC1 sends an activatingsignal AS0 to the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 to activate the Wi-Fiof the docking station device 110, so that the docking station device110 is now communicatively connected to the access point AP. By doingso, the data can be transmitted to the hub node through the mesh networkfirst, and the hub node can then transmit data to the access pointthrough Wi-Fi. Therefore, the data can be transmitted to a destinationoutside of the mesh network. The following paragraph describes the datatransmission of the management system 200 through the use ofembodiments.

The paragraphs above briefly describe the data transmission of themanagement system 200. The following paragraphs further describe how totransmit data combining the mesh network and the Internet. Please referto FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a management system 400 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementsystem 400 includes two groups, G1 and G2, the backend server 120, andthe access point AP. The backend server 120 and the access point AP areidentical to the backend server 120 and the access point AP in theembodiment shown in FIG. 1 , in terms of their functions and operations,and previous relevant descriptions can be referred to. In oneembodiment, the management system 400 includes a plurality of accesspoints AP. The group G1 includes 28 docking station devices 110, whichinclude the docking stations 110 a, 110 b, 110 c, 110 d, 110 e, 110 f,and 110 g. The group G2 includes 20 docking station devices 110, whichinclude the docking stations 110 h, 110 i, 110 j, and 110 k. The dockingstation devices 110 in FIG. 4 are identical to the docking stationdevices 110 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in terms of theirfunctions and operations, and each of them has the interface 112, thesensor 114, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, thecontrol circuit CTC1, and the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 likewise.Previous relevant descriptions can be referred to.

In one embodiment, the docking station devices 110 in the group G1 arecommunicatively connected to each other to form a mesh network, and thedocking station devices 110 in the group G2 are communicativelyconnected to each other to form the other mesh network. The backendserver 120 is connected to the mesh networks of the groups G1 and G2.The backend server 120 sends out a grouping signal GS0 to all dockingstation devices 100 through these two mesh networks, and the dockingstation devices 110 are divided into the groups G1 and G2. In oneembodiment, each of the groups G1 and G2 has the docking station devices110 of less than N. In other words, the backend server 120 sends out thegrouping signal GS0 and groups the docking station devices 110 accordingto the predetermined value of N, and when the total number of thedocking station devices 110 exceeds N, the docking station devices 110will be divided into different groups, for the purpose of better datatransmission. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , there are48 docking station devices 110 in total. If N is set as 29, the backendserver 120 transmits the grouping signal GS0 according to N and dividesthe docking station devices 110 into the group G1 (including 28 dockingstation devices 110) and the group G2 (including 20 docking stationdevices 110), respectively. The numbers of the docking station devices110 in the groups G1 and G2 are both smaller than N, so there will notbe further grouping.

In one embodiment, the backend server 120 generates the grouping signalGS0 according to a spatial database. The spatial database includes thedistance and angular data of all docking station devices 110. In otherwords, the backend server 120 decides which docking station devices 110should be put into the same group according to the relative locationsand angles of the docking station devices 110. Take the embodiment shownin FIG. 4 as an example. The docking station devices 110 of the group G1are close to each other, and the docking station devices 110 of thegroup G2 are close to each other, while the distance between the groupG1 and the group G2 are relatively far.

In one embodiment, after the management system divides the dockingstation devices 110 into the groups G1 and G2, the backend server 120sends out a selecting signal SS0 to multiple docking station devices 110through the mesh networks of the groups G1 and G2 in order to selectthem as the hub nodes. The hub nodes are configured to receive datatransmitted in a group, connect to the access point AP, and transmitdata to outside the mesh network. Specifically, the backend server 120transmits the selecting signal SS0 to a docking station device 110 inthe group G1 and to a docking station device 110 in the group G2, andthe selecting signal SS0 will be sent to all docking station devices 110through the mesh networks of the groups G1 and G2. When the dockingstation devices 110 selected as the hub nodes receive the selectingsignal SS0, their wireless sensor network transceiver circuits WSN1 willpass the selecting signal SS0 to the control circuits CTC1, and thecontrol circuits CTC1 will transmit the activating signals AS0 to theirWi-Fi transceiver circuits WFT 1 to activate their Wi-Fi and connect tothe access point AP.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the docking stationdevices 110 e and 110 f are selected as the hub nodes HBN and connectedto the access point AP communicatively, and the docking station devices110 i and 110 j are selected as the hub nodes HBN and connected to theaccess point AP communicatively. In one embodiment, the hub nodes HBNare automatically selected by the backend server 120 by an algorithmaccording to strength and relay hops of a wireless signal received byeach docking station device 110. In other words, the backend server 120decides which docking station devices 110 in each group should beselected as the hub nodes HBN according to the strength of the signalreceived by each docking station device 110 during data transmission andthe number of relay hops that are required to transmit data from onedocking station device 110 to the other docking station device 110. Bydoing so, signals will have enough strength for data transmission, andthe number of hops during data transmission can be reduced.

The following paragraphs describe the data transmission of themanagement system 400. In one embodiment, in the management system 400,data are to be transmitted from the docking station device 110 a in thegroup G1 to a docking station device 110 in the group G2. As shown inFIG. 4 , the docking station device 110 a transmits the data to thedocking station device 110 d first, the docking station device 110 dtransmits the data to the docking station device 110 f, the dockingstation device 110 f transmits the data to the access point AP, and theaccess point AP transmits the data to the hub node HBN in the group G2(i.e., the docking station device 110 i or 110 j) through the Internet.The hub node HBN in the group G2 transmits the data to the destinationthrough the mesh network of the group G2. In this embodiment, thedocking station device 110 d is used as a relay node and configured toreceive and relay the data received from the docking station device 110a. The docking station device 110 f is the hub node HBN of the group G1and configured to collect the data in the group G1 and send them to theaccess point AP.

In one embodiment, in the management system 400, data are to betransmitted from the docking station 110 b in the group G1 to a dockingstation device 110 in the group G2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the dockingstation 110 b transmits the data to the docking station device 110 cfirst, the docking station device 110 c transmits the data to thedocking station device 110 e, the docking station device 110 e transmitsthe data to the access point AP, and the access point AP transmits thedata to the mesh network of the group G2 through the Internet. In thisembodiment, the docking station device 110 c is used as a relay node andconfigured to receive and relay the data received from the dockingstation device 110 b, and the docking station device 110 e is the hubnode HBN of the group G1 and configured to collect the data in the groupG1 and send them to the access point AP. Although the docking stationdevices 110 e and 110 f are both hub nodes HBN in the group G1, thedocking station device 110 c is closer to the docking station device 110e, so the docking station device 110 c transmits the data to the accesspoint AP through the docking station device 110 e, unlike the previousembodiment in which the data is transmitted to the access point APthrough the docking station device 110 f.

In one embodiment, in the management system 400, data are to betransmitted from the docking station 110 g in the group G1 to a dockingstation device 110 in the group G2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the dockingstation 110 g transmits the data to the docking station device 110 efirst, the docking station device 110 e transmits the data to the accesspoint AP, and the access point AP transmits the data to the mesh networkof the group G2 through the Internet. In this embodiment, the dockingstation device 110 g directly sends the data to the docking stationdevice 110 e acting, which acts as the hub node HBN, and does not haveto transmit the data to a relay node before transmitting the data to thehub node HBN in the group G1.

In one embodiment, in the management system 400, data are to betransmitted from a docking station device 110 in the group G1 to thedocking station device 110 h in the group G2. When the access point APreceives the data from the hub node HBN of the group G1, the accesspoint transmits the data to the docking station device 110 i through theInternet, and the docking station device 110 i transmits the data to thedocking station device 110 h. In this embodiment, the Wi-Fi transceivercircuit WFT1 of the docking station device 110 i is activated, and thedocking station device 110 i acts as the hub node HBN, so the dockingstation device 110 i can receive the data from the access point APthrough the Internet and transmit the data to the docking station device110 h through its wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1.

In one embodiment, in the management system 400, data are to betransmitted from a docking station device 110 of the group G1 to thedocking station device 110 k of the group G2. When the access point APreceives data from the hub node HBN of the group G1, the access point APtransmits the data to the docking station device 110 j of the group G2through the Internet, and the docking station device 110 j transmits thedata to the docking station device 110 k. In this embodiment, the Wi-Fitransceiver circuit WFT1 of the docking station device 110 j isactivated, and the docking station device 110 j acts as the hub nodeHBN, so the docking station device 110 j can receive data from theaccess point AP through the Internet and transmit data to the dockingstation device 110 k through its wireless sensor network transceivercircuit WSN1. Although the docking station devices 110 i and 110 j areboth hub nodes HBN in the group G2, the docking station device 110 j iscloser to the docking station device 110 k, so the access point APtransmits the data to the docking station device 110 j, unlike theprevious embodiment in which the data is transmitted to the dockingstation device 110 i.

In one embodiment, if the number of the hub nodes HBN is smaller than aminimum number of hub nodes, the backend server 120 selects one or moreof the docking station devices 110 as new hub node(s) HBN. For example,when the minimum number of hub nodes is set as 3, the numbers of hubnodes HBN of the groups G1 and G2 are both less than the minimum numberof hub nodes, so the backend server 120 will send out the selectingsignal SS0 to all docking station devices 110 through the mesh networksof the groups G1 and G2, and a docking station device 110 of the groupG1 and a docking station device 110 of the group G2 can be selected asthe new hub nodes HBN.

In one embodiment, if any of the hub nodes HBN has a transmissionloading greater than a transmission threshold, the backend server 120selects one or more of the docking station devices 110 as the new hubnode(s) HBN. For example, when any of the docking stations 110 e, 110 f,110 i, and 110 j has a transmission loading greater than thepredetermined transmission threshold, this situation will be reported tothe backend server 120 through the mesh networks of the groups G1 andG2, and the backend server 120 will send out the selecting signal SS0through the mesh networks of the groups G1 and G2, in order to selectone or more of the docking station devices 110 as the new hub node(s)until the transmission loadings of all hub nodes HBN are no longergreater than the transmission threshold.

In conclusion, by using the docking station device 110 as theembodiments shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 and applying the datatransmission approach as the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , data can betransmitted through the mesh network and/or the Internet according tothe starting point and destination, and thus efficient data transmissioncan be achieved.

The present disclosure also provides a method for controlling a meshnetwork. Please refer to both FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a flowchartof a mesh network control method 500 in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure. In one embodiment, the mesh network controlmethod 500 includes steps S510 and S512. The mesh network control method500 first determines whether there is an established spatial database(i.e., step S510) and, if no, creates the spatial database based on thedistance and angular data of the nodes (i.e., step S512), wherein thespatial database is configured to divide the nodes into the groups. Takethe embodiment shown in FIG. 4 as an example. The backend server 120first determines whether there is a spatial database, and, if no, thebackend server 120 receives the distance and angular information of thedocking station devices 110 through the mesh network and creates thespatial database for the purpose of dividing the docking station devices110 into the groups.

In one embodiment, if the spatial database has been established, themesh network control method 500 includes determining whether the numberof nodes is smaller than a predetermined minimum number N (i.e., stepS520) and, if not, dividing the nodes into a plurality of groups (i.e.,step S522), wherein each of the groups has the nodes of less than N. Inother words, in the steps S520 and S522 the mesh network control method500 divides the nodes into different groups according to thepredetermined N so that the numbers of nodes in each group do not exceedN. Take the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 as an example. Before the dockingstation devices 110 are divided into the groups G1 and G2, there are 48docking station devices 110 in the management system 400 in total. If Nis set as 29, because the number of the docking station devices 110 isnot less than N, the backend server 120 will transmit the group signalGS0 through the mesh networks and divide the docking station devices 110into two groups, wherein each group has the docking station devices 110of less than N. In one embodiment, the backend server 120 decides whichdocking station devices 110 should be put into the same group accordingto the spatial database described in the previous embodiment, andconsiders the distance and angular information while grouping. Forexample, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the docking station devicesthat are closer to each other will be divided into the same group, andthus the groups G1 and G2 are formed.

Following the previous embodiment, the mesh network control method 500includes selecting one or more of the nodes in each group as the hubnode(s) (i.e., step S530) if the number of nodes is less than N or afterdividing the nodes into different groups. The selection of hub nodes canbe referred to previous relevant paragraphs describing the embodimentshown in FIG. 4 . That is, the backend server 120 transmits theselecting signal SS0 to select the hub nodes HBN in the groups G1 andG2. In one embodiment, selecting nodes as hub nodes is performed byactivating the Wi-Fi transceiver circuits WFT1 of each of the selectednodes. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , when the backendserver 120 transmits the selecting signal SS0 to the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1, the wireless sensor networktransceiver circuit WSN1 sends the selecting signal SS0 to the controlcircuit CTC1, the control circuit CTC1 sends an activating signal AS0 tothe Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1 in order to activate the Wi-Fi of thedocking station device 110 and use it as a hub node HBN.

Following the previous embodiment, the mesh network control method 500includes determining whether the number of the hub nodes HBN in eachgroup is smaller than a minimum number of hub nodes (i.e., step S540)and, if yes, selecting one or more of the nodes as the new hub node(s)HBN (i.e., in FIG. 5 , if the answer for the determination in step S540is yes, then go back to step S530 to select the new hub nodes again),wherein the minimum number of hub nodes is a predetermined number ofnodes in a group. Take the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4 as an example.If the minimum number of hub nodes is set as 3, because each of thegroups G1 and G2 has 2 hub nodes, the backend server 120 transmits theselecting signal through the mesh networks to select the new hub nodesHBN from the groups G1 and G2.

Following the previous embodiment, the mesh network control method 500optionally includes finding relay nodes for each group according to therelay hops of each node (i.e., step S550) if the number of hub nodes HBNin each group is smaller than the minimum number of hub nodes. Take theembodiment as shown in FIG. 4 as an example. Along the path that thedata is transmitted from the docking station device 110 a to the accesspoint AP, before the data is transmitted to the hub node HBN ((i.e., thedocking station device 110 f), the data is transmitted to the dockingstation device 110 d, where the data will be further relayed. The nodebetween the starting point of data transmission (i.e., the dockingstation device 110 a) and the hub node HBN is referred to as the relaynode. However, relay node is not always required along the path of datatransmission. For example, the docking station device 110 g can transmitdata to the hub node HBN (i.e., the docking station device 110 e)directly, and the docking station device 110 i can transmit data to thehub node HBN (i.e., the docking station device 110 h) directly, too. Norelay node is required in these two examples.

Following the previous embodiment, the mesh network control method 500may include determining whether any of the hub nodes HBN has atransmission loading greater than a transmission threshold (i.e., stepS560) and, if yes, selecting one or more of the nodes as the new hubnode(s) HBN (that is, as FIG. 4 shows, if the answer for thedetermination in step S560 is yes, then go back to step S530 to selectthe new hub nodes again). In other words, if the transmission loadingsof the hub nodes HBN exceed the transmission threshold, the mesh networkcontrol method 500 will select the new hub nodes HBN according to theprevious description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , in order toreduce the transmission loading of the hub nodes HBN until each hub nodeHBN has a transmission loading not greater than the transmissionthreshold.

By taking the steps mentioned above, the mesh network control method 500implements a network configuration that is suitable for datatransmission among the nodes. In one embodiment, the mesh networkcontrol method 500 can adjust N, the minimum number of hub nodes, and/orthe transmission threshold according to actual need and repeat thecorresponding steps.

In conclusion, the mesh network control method 500 uses the stepsS510-S560 to decide the grouping of nodes, select nodes as hub nodes HBNfor data transmission, and add new hub nodes HBN when hub nodes are lessthan the minimum number of hub nodes or when the transmission loading ofa hub node HBN is too heavy. Therefore, efficient data transmission canbe achieved through the mesh networks and the Internet.

The present disclosure also provides another management system. Pleaserefer to FIG. 6A. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a management system600 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Themanagement system 600 includes a beacon tag device 620, a dockingstation device 110, and a backend server 120. The beacon tag device 620includes a wireless communication chip 622 and a processor 624. Thewireless communication chip 622 is configured to transmit a beaconsignal BS0. The docking station device 110 includes an interface 112, asensor 114, a wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, a Wi-Fitransceiver circuit WFT1, and a control circuit CTC1. The interface 112is configured to couple to one or a plurality of electronic devices. Thesensor 114 is configured to receive the beacon signal BS0. The wirelesssensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 is configured to receive andtransmit data primarily according to a short-distance or low-energywireless network communication protocol. The Wi-Fi transceiver circuitWFT1 is configured to receive and transmit data according to a Wi-Fiprotocol. The control circuit CTC1 is coupled to the interface 112, thesensor 114, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, andthe Wi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1. The backend server 120 iscommunicatively connected to the docking station device 110. The dockingstation device 110 and the backend server 120 of the embodiment shown inFIG. 6A are similar to the docking station device 110 and the backendserver 120 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , in terms of theirstructures. Previous relevant paragraphs can be referred to. In oneembodiment, the control circuit CTC1 and the other components areembedded or implemented in a device different from a docking device, andthe function of the present disclosure can still be performed.

The docking station device 110 can connect to the backend server 120directly or through the other docking station devices 110 and the meshnetwork. Previous paragraphs describing the embodiments of mesh networkcontrol system and method can be referred to. In one embodiment, thedocking station device 110 is indirectly connected to the backend server120 through another docking station device, as shown in FIG. 6A.

The following paragraphs further describe the management system 600 inFIG. 6A. In FIG. 6A, the docking station device 110 is placed on thetable TAB1, and a user (e.g., an employee of a company or a userattempting to reserve a table or meeting room) holds the beacon tagdevice 620 and approaches the table TAB1 and the docking station device110. The table TAB1 and the docking station device 110 in FIG. 6Arepresent the table TAB1 and the docking station device 110 in FIG. 1 .In other words, the management system 600 is implemented in a scenariolike the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . That is, the user is in a buildingused as a workspace and is holding the beacon tag device 620 whileapproaching to the docking station device 110 on the table TAB1 in orderto check in or out to the docking station device 110.

Please refer to FIG. 6A again. The wireless communication chip 622 onthe beacon tag device 620 transmits the beacon signal BS0, and when thesensor 114 receives the beacon signal BS0, the control circuit CTC1determines whether the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of thebeacon signal BS0 is greater than a beacon strength threshold, whereinthe beacon strength threshold is a value predetermined by the system. Inone embodiment, a company's manager can set the beacon strengththreshold through the backend server 120 and its connection to thedocking station device 110. If the control circuit CTC1 determines thatthe RSSI of the beacon signal BS0 is greater than the beacon strengththreshold, the control circuit CTC1 transmits a check-in/check-outsignal CS0 to the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, andthe wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 transmits thecheck-in/check-out signal CS0 to the backend server 120. In oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 6A, the docking station device 110 isindirectly connected to the backend server 120 through another dockingstation device, which is selected as a hub node. In terms of hub nodesand their selection, previous embodiments (e.g., the embodiment shown inFIG. 4 ) can be referred to. In this embodiment, after the controlcircuit CTC1 of the docking station device 110 transmits thecheck-in/check-out signal CS0 to its wireless sensor network transceivercircuit WSN1, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1transmits the check-in/check-out signal CS0 to the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1 of another docking station device 110through the mesh network formed between the two docking station devices110. Then, another docking station device 110 transmits thecheck-in/check-out signal CS0 to the backend server 120 through itsWi-Fi transceiver circuit WFT1. The backend server 120 records the timethat the user checks in or out according to the check-in/check-outsignal CS0. By doing so, the user completes a check-in or check-outthrough the use of the management system 600.

The present disclosure also provides a module board. Please refer toFIG. 6B. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of a management system 600′ inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementsystem 600′ includes a beacon tag device 620, an electronic device 610,and a backend server 120. The electronic device 610 includes a moduleboard 612 and an interface 112. The module board 612 includes a sensor114, a wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, a Wi-Fitransceiver circuit WFT1, and a control circuit CTC1. The beacon tagdevice 620, the backend server 120, the interface 112, the sensor 114,the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, the Wi-Fitransceiver circuit WFT1, and the control circuit CTC1 in the embodimentshown in FIG. 6B are identical or similar to their counterparts in theembodiment shown in FIG. 6A, in terms of their functions and operations.

In one embodiment, the electronic device 610 is an Internet-of-Thingdevice, and the module board 612 is configured to be inserted into theelectronic device 610, receive the beacon signal BS0 from the beacon tagdevice 620, and transmit the check-in/check-out signal CS0 directly orindirectly to the backend server 120. In other words, the module board612, when being inserted into the electronic device 610, enables theelectronic device 610 to perform the check-in and check-out function asthe docking station device 110 does in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A.In one embodiment, the module board 612 is in a form of a card which isdesigned to be inserted into and connected to the electronic device 610through the interface 112. It should be noted that the interface 112 isincluded in the electronic device 610 but not in the module board 612.

Please refer to FIG. 6A again. In one embodiment, the management system600 includes multiple docking station devices 110 (as the embodimentshown in FIG. 1 ), and the beacon strength thresholds of these dockingstation devices 110 are set to be different, so that different beacontag devices 620 can check in or out to different docking station devices110. In one embodiment, the beacon signal BS0 includes the user'sidentification code, and the docking station device 110 includes theuser's reservation data. The docking station device 110 will confirmthat the seat or table is the one reserved by the user according to theidentification code and the reservation data before performing check-inor check-out.

In one embodiment, the wireless communication chip 622 of the beacon tagdevice 620 transmits the beacon signal BS0 at a specific beaconinterval. In other words, the wireless communication chip 622 sends outthe beacon signal BS0 every beacon interval. Whenever the wirelesscommunication chip 622 transmits the beacon signal BS0, the sensor 114of the docking station device 110 will receive the beacon signal BS0,determine whether the beacon signal BS0 is greater than the beaconstrength threshold, and, if yes, send the check-in/check-out signal CS0to the backend server 120. In one embodiment, the wireless communicationchip 622 transmits the beacon signal BS0 periodically in a low-powerway. In the previous two embodiments, because the wireless communicationchip 622 transmits the beacon signal BS0 periodically, the manager ofthe company can obtain a series of check-in/check-out signals throughthe backend server 120, know whether the user is seated at the table ata specific time or during a specific period, and thus better understandstaff's whereabouts. In other words, in one embodiment, when the userchecks in (i.e., the docking station device 110 has determined that thebeacon signal BS0 is greater than the beacon strength threshold), thebeacon tag device 620 is bound to the docking station device 110, andthe docking station device 110 will make sure that whether the beaconsignal BS0 received periodically is greater than the beacon strengththreshold. If yes, then the docking station device 110 determines thatthe status of the seat is “occupancy.” In one embodiment, after thebeacon tag device 620 has been bound to the docking station device 110,if the docking station device 110 does not sense any beacon signal BS0greater than the beacon strength threshold in a predetermined period oftime, the docking station device 110 determines that the status of theseat is “auto check-out.”

In one embodiment, the beacon tag device 620 further includes ashort-distance detector. Please refer to both FIG. 6A and FIG. 7 . FIG.7 is a schematic diagram of a beacon tag device 620 in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. The upper part of FIG. 7 shows apart of the docking station device 110 shown in FIG. 6A (or theelectronic device 610 shown in FIG. 6B). The docking station device 110is briefly illustrated in FIG. 7 in order to show the relative positionsof the docking station device 110 and the beacon tag device 620. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 7 , the beacon tag device 620 includes ashort-distance detector 626 other than the wireless communication chip622 and the processor 624. When the short-distance detector 626 sensesthe docking station device 110 within a sending distance SD0 (i.e.,within the dotted circular area in FIG. 7 that is centered on theshort-distance detector 626 with radius of the sending distance SD0),the short-distance detector 626 transmits a driving signal DSO to theprocessor 624, and the processor 624 drives the wireless communicationchip 622 to transmit the beacon signal BS0. In other words, the wirelesscommunication chip 622 does not always or periodically transmit thebeacon signal BS0 but only transmit the beacon signal BS0 when thedocking station device 110 is sensed within a short distance.

Please refer to FIG. 6A again. In one embodiment, the beacon tag device620 further includes a transmission button. When the user presses thetransmission button on the beacon tag device 620, the wirelesscommunication chip 622 transmits the beacon signal BS0. In thisembodiment, because the wireless communication chip 622 transmits thebeacon signal BS0 only when the transmission button is pressed, thepower consumption is reduced.

In one embodiment, the docking station device 110 further includes anactivating button, configured to activate the sensor 114. Specifically,when the activating button is pressed, the sensor 114 is in an activatedmode and can sense the beacon signal BS0 during a specific period oftime. In this embodiment, because the sensor 114 starts to receive thebeacon signal BS0 only when the activating button is pressed, the powerconsumption of the sensor 114 is reduced.

In one embodiment, the docking station device 110 further includes adisplay monitor. The display monitor is coupled to the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit WSN1, and information of the table that thedocking station device 110 is mounted on is shown on the displaymonitor. The backend server 120 directly or indirectly transmits theinformation of the table (hereinafter referred to as table information)to the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1, and thewireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 transmits the tableinformation to the display monitor. The table information includes thename of the person who checks in to or reserves the table, the number ofthe table, and/or the availability of the table. In one embodiment, thedisplay monitor shows that the table is unavailable based on uncleannessof the table or other concerns, e.g., social distancing. In oneembodiment, the table information includes table location, current time,and/or network connection status of the table. In one embodiment, thetable information is set up through the backend server 120.

Following the previous embodiment, in one embodiment, the tableinformation further includes a two-dimensional barcode which isconfigured to assist the user in checking in or out. In one embodiment,the two-dimensional barcode is a quick response code (QR code).Specifically, when the user scans the two-dimensional barcode through amobile device (e.g., a cell phone), the mobile device will transmit datato the backend server 120, and the backend server 120 will performcheck-in or check-out in response to the data.

The following paragraphs further describe the actual operation of theembodiments mentioned above. Please refer to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 8 .FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a management system 800 in accordancewith embodiments of the present disclosure. The tables TAB1 and TAB2 ofthe embodiment as shown in FIG. 8 represent two tables placed in abuilding used as a workspace, and each of them has the docking stationdevice 110 mounted on it, as the tables TAB1 and TAB2 do in FIG. 1 . Ifthe beacon strength thresholds of the docking station devices 110 on thetables TAB1 and TAB2 are set to have the same value, when the beacon tagdevice 620, which is closer to the table TAB1, sends out the beaconsignal BS0, the docking station device 110 on the table TAB1 receivesthe beacon signal BS0 with a strength greater than the beacon strengththreshold and thus transmits the check-in/check-out signal CS0 to thebackend server 120. On the other hand, because the beacon tag device 620is further from the docking station device 110 on the table TAB2, thedocking station device 110 on the table TAB2 receives the beacon signalBS0 with strength less than the beacon strength threshold, and thedocking station device 110 on table TAB2 will not transmit thecheck-in/check-out signal CS0 to the backend server. In this case, theuser holding the tag device 620 completes a check-in or check-out to thetable TAB1 and does not check in or out to the table TAB2.

In conclusion, in the previous embodiments, the docking station device110 receives the beacon signal from the beacon tag device 620 throughthe sensor 114 and uses the control circuit CTC1 to determine whetherthe RSSI of the beacon signal BS0 is greater than the beacon strengththreshold. Therefore, the docking station device 110 can assist thestaff to check in or out.

The present disclosure also provides another management method. Pleaserefer to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a management method 900 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementmethod 900 includes: transmitting a beacon signal periodically at abeacon interval (i.e., step S902); receiving the beacon signal (i.e.,step S904); and determining whether the RSSI of the beacon signal isgreater than a beacon strength threshold (i.e., step S906) and, if so,transmitting a check-in/check-out signal to a backend server (i.e., stepS908). In one embodiment, the management method 900 includes setting oradjusting the beacon strength threshold.

The present disclosure also provides another management method. Pleaserefer to FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a management method 1000 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementmethod 1000 includes: determining whether a distance between a beacontag device and a docking station device is shorter than a sendingdistance (i.e., step S1002) and, if so, transmitting a beacon signal(i.e., step S1004); receiving the beacon signal (i.e., step S1006); anddetermining whether the RSSI of the beacon signal is greater than abeacon strength threshold (i.e., step S1008) and, if so, transmitting acheck-in/check-out signal to a backend server (i.e., step 1010).

The present disclosure also provides another management method. Pleaserefer to FIG. 11 . FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a management method 1100 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementmethod 1100 includes: determining whether a transmission button ispressed (i.e., step S1102) and, if so, transmitting a beacon signal(i.e., step S1104); receiving the beacon signal (i.e., step S1106); anddetermining whether the RSSI of the beacon signal is greater than abeacon strength threshold (i.e., step S1108) and, if so, transmitting acheck-in/check-out signal to a backend server (i.e., step S1110). Inother words, in this embodiment, the beacon signal is transmitted onlywhen the transmission button is pressed.

In one embodiment, the management method 110 further includesdetermining whether the activating button is pressed and, if so,receiving the beacon signal during a specific period of time. In otherwords, in this embodiment, the management method 1100 starts to receivethe beacon signal only when the activating button is pressed.

In conclusion, the previous embodiments use the transmission and receiptof the beacon signal to implement the check-in or check-out of thestaff.

The present disclosure also provides the other management system. Pleaserefer to FIG. 12 . FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a management system1200 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Themanagement system 1200 includes a docking station device 110 and abackend server 120. The docking station device 110 includes an interface112, a hub controller 116, a System-on-a-Chip (SoC) control circuit 118,and an Internet-of-Thing (IoT) transceiver circuit 119. The interface112 is configured to receive a signal SG0 of an electronic device 1210.The hub controller 116 is coupled to the interface 112 and a host 1220and is configured to manage the signal transmission between theelectronic device 1210 and the host 1220. The System-on-a-Chip controlcircuit 118 is coupled to the hub controller 116 and is configured toperform an operating system to determine the type of the electronicdevice 1220. The Internet-of-Thing transceiver circuit 119 is coupled tothe System-on-a-Chip control circuit 118. The backend server 120 iscommunicatively connected to the Internet-of-Thing transceiver circuit119. The backend server 120 includes permission data.

In the management system 1200, the docking station device 110 is coupledto the electronic device 1210 through the interface 112. In oneembodiment, the electronic device is a keyboard, a mouse, an earphone, acell phone, a laptop, a monitor, or a universal serial bus (USB) device.In one embodiment, the interface 112 has multiple input/output ports andthus can couple to a plurality of electronic devices 1210.

When the interface 112 receives the signal SG0 from the electronicdevice 1210, the hub controller 116 of the docking station device 110determines whether the electronic device has high transmission speedaccording to the signal SG0. If not, the hub controller 116 allows thesignal transmission between the electronic device 1210 and the host 1220immediately. In other words, if the hub controller 116 identifies theelectronic device 1210 as a Low-Speed or Full-Speed device (e.g., amouse or keyboard that normally has low transmission speed), the hubcontroller 116 determines that the electronic device 1210 has lowtransmission speed. In this case, the hub controller 116 allows theelectronic device 112 to access the host 1220. On the contrary, if thehub controller 116 identifies the electronic device 1210 as a Hi-Speedor SuperSpeed device (e.g., a storage or electromagnetic device forstorage that normally has high transmission speed), the hub controller116 determines that the electronic device 1210 has high transmissionspeed. In this case, subsequent determining steps will be performed. Astorage device or electromagnetic device usually has high transmissionspeed and might be used to steal company's data, while a device like amouse or keyboard usually has low transmission data. Therefore, throughthe approach described above, a device like a mouse or keyboard will beallowed to access the host 1220 immediately without furtherdetermination.

In one embodiment, if the electronic device 1210 is connected to theinterface 112 through a specific input/output port, the hub controller116 immediately allows the signal transmission between the electronic1210 and the host 1220, without determining the transmission speed ofthe electronic device 1210. For example, when the electronic device 1210is connected to the interface 112 through the display port or HDMI portof the interface 112, because the electronic device 1210 is a displaydevice that is unlikely to be used to steal company's data or secret ordamage company's computer, the hub controller 116 allows the electronicdevice 1210 that is connected to the interface 112 through suchinput/output ports. In one embodiment, a white list is predetermined inorder to assist the hub controller 116 to identify those electronicdevices 1210 of which the access to the host 1220 can be allowedimmediately without further determination.

Further, if the hub controller 116 determines that the electronic device1210 has high transmission speed, as shown in FIG. 12 , the hubcontroller 116 further transmits the signal SG0 to the System-on-a-Chipcontrol circuit 118, and the System-on-a-Chip control circuit 118determines the type of the electronic device 1210 according to thesignal SG0 and generates type data TD0. Specifically, theSystem-on-a-Chip control circuit 118 includes an embedded operatingsystem configured to determine the type of electronic device 1210. Thetype data TD0 are information relating to the type of the electronicdevice 1210 and will be used in subsequent determining steps. In oneembodiment, the System-on-a-Chip control circuit 118 is the controlcircuit CTC1 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 . In one embodiment, theSystem-on-a-Chip control circuit 118 and the other components areembedded or implemented in a device different from a docking device, andthe function of the present disclosure can still be performed.

After the System-on-a-Chip control circuit 118 determines the type ofthe electronic device 1210 and generates the type data TD0, theSystem-on-a-Chip control circuit 118 transmits the type data TD0 to theInternet-of-Thing transceiver circuit 119, and the Internet-of-Thingtransceiver circuit 119 transmits the type data TD0 to the backendserver 120. In one embodiment, the Internet-of-Thing transceiver circuit119 is the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit WSN1 of theembodiment shown in FIG. 2 and uses the mesh network of the embodimentshown in FIG. 3 to communicatively connect to the backend server 120.

The backend server 120 determines whether the electronic device 1210 hasthe permission to access the host 1220 according to the type data TD0and the permission data and sends back result data RD0 to the dockingstation device 110. Specifically, the manager of the company sets upthrough the backend server 120 the electronic devices 1210 that canaccess and perform data transmission with the host 1220 in advance. Thatis, the manager decides in advance the types of electronic devices 1210that a particular employee can plug into the host 1220.

When the backend server 120 receives the type data TD0 from theInternet-of-Thing transceiver circuit 119 of the docking station device110, the backend server 120 compares the type data TD0 with thepermission data and determines whether the electronic device 1210 shouldbe allowed to connect to the host 1220 according to the type of theelectronic device 1210. After the determination is completed, thebackend server 120 sends back the result of the determination, in theform of the result data RD0, to the Internet-of-Thing transceivercircuit 119, and the components in the docking station device 110conduct subsequent steps through their coupling relationship (That is,the Internet-of-Thing transceiver circuit 119 is coupled to theSystem-on-a-Chip system control circuit 118, and the System-on-a-Chipsystem control circuit 118 is coupled to the hub controller 116.). Inone embodiment, the company's manager can modify the permission datastored in the backend server 120 to change the type of devices that thehost 1220 is allowed to connect to.

If the electronic device 1210 has the permission to access the host 1220according to the result data RD0, the hub controller 116 permits thesignal transmission between the electronic device 1210 and the host1220. On the other hand, if the electronic device 1210 does not have thepermission to access the host 1220 according to the result data RD0, thehub controller 116 does not permit the signal transmission between theelectronic device 1210 and the host 1220. In other words, the hubcontroller 116 determines whether to allow the electronic device 1210 toaccess the host 1220 after receiving the result data RD0. If the resultdata RD0 shows that the electronic device 1210 does not have thepermission to access the host 1220, the hub controller 116 will notallow the connection of the line between the hub controller 116 and thehost 1220 (i.e., the straight line in FIG. 12 that connects the hubcontroller 116 and the host 1220), and the electronic device 1210 cannotaccess the data stored in the host 1220. On the contrary, if the resultdata RD0 shows that the electronic device 1210 has the permission toaccess the host 1220, the hub controller 116 will allow the connectionof the line between the hub controller 116 and the host 1220, so thatthe user can access the data stored in the host 1220 through theelectronic device 1210.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , the interface 112 receives aplurality of signals SG0 from a plurality of electronic devices 1210 atthe same time, and the docking station device 110 and the backend server120 determine whether the signal transmissions between each of theelectronic devices 1210 and the host 1220 should be allowed separately.In other words, users sometimes may attempt to connect multipleelectronic devices 1210 to the host 1220 through the docking stationdevice 110, and in such case the docking station device 110 candetermine, separately and simultaneously, whether to allow theseelectronic devices 1210 to access the host 1220.

In conclusion, the management system 1200 allows devices having lowertransmission speed to access the host 1220 immediately, determines thetypes of the devices having higher transmission speed, and determineswhether to allow the host 1220 to connect to these devices according tothe predetermined permission data, in order to reduce the risk thatpeople outside the company might use plug-in devices to steal company'sdata or to damage company's computers.

The present disclosure also provides the other management method. Pleaserefer to FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a management method 1300 inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The managementmethod 1300 includes: receiving a signal of an electronic device;operating an operating system to determine the type of the electronicdevice according to the signal and generating type data; and determiningwhether the electronic device has the permission to access a hostaccording to the type data and the permission data; if yes, allowing thesignal transmission between the electronic device and a host; and ifnot, disallowing the signal transmission between the electronic deviceand the host.

In step S1302, the management method 1300 receives the signal of theelectronic device. In one embodiment, the management method 1300receives a plurality of signals from a plurality of electronic devicesat the same time in step S1302.

In one embodiment, the management method 1300 determines whether theelectronic device has high transmission speed (i.e., step S1304) afterreceiving the signal of the electronic device. If the electronic devicehas low transmission speed, the management method 1300 allows the signaltransmission between the electronic device and the host immediately(i.e., step S1305). That is, if the answer of step S1304 is no, themanagement method 1300 allows the electronic device to access the hostimmediately according to step S1305 that is on the left side of stepS1304 as shown in FIG. 13 . On the contrary, if the answer of step S1304is yes, the management method 1300 performs step S1306 that is belowstep S1304 as shown in FIG. 13 .

In step 1306, the management method 1300 operates the operating systemto determine the type of the electronic device according to the signaland generate the type data. In other words, the management method 1300uses the operating system to determine the type of the electronic deviceaccording to the signal of the electronic device and output the resultof such determination as the type data, which shows the type of theelectronic device.

In step S1308, the management method 1300 determines whether theelectronic device has the permission to access the host according to thetype data and the permission data. In other words, the management method1300 sets up in advance the permission data which represent theelectronic devices that the host can connect to, and, after obtainingthe type data, compares the type data with the permission data. If theelectronic device has the permission to access the host according to thepermission data, the management method 1300 allows the signaltransmission between the electronic device and the host (i.e., stepS1310); if the electronic device does not have the permission to accessthe host according to the permission data, the management method 1300disallows the signal transmission between the electronic device and thehost (i.e., step S1312). The determination of whether to allow theelectronic device to access the host is thus completed.

In one embodiment, the management method 1300 receives a plurality ofsignals from a plurality of electronic devices at the same time andseparately determines whether the signal transmissions between each ofthe electronic devices and the host should be allowed. That is, thedeterminations of the electronic devices' permissions can be performedsimultaneously and such determinations are independent to each other. Inone embodiment, the management method 1300 further comprises modifyingthe permission data to change the type of devices that the host isallowed to connect to.

In conclusion, the management method 1300 determines whether electronicdevices have permissions to access the host according to thetransmission speed and/or the types of electronic devices.

As demonstrated by the embodiments mentioned above, the managementsystem described in the present disclosure can collect information frommultiple docking station devices, monitor the attendance of staff, andmanage the connection of network and the permissions of plug-in devices.The embodiments in the present disclosure can be used collaboratively toenhance the efficiency of office automated management.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detailwith reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments arepossible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims shouldnot be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made to the structure of the presentinvention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present inventioncover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A management system, comprising: an access point,configured to receive and transmit data according to a Wi-Fi protocol;and a plurality of docking station devices, each of the docking stationdevices comprising: an interface, configured to couple one or aplurality of electronic devices; a wireless sensor network transceivercircuit, configured to receive and transmit data from and to anotherdocking station devices primarily according to a short-distance orlow-energy wireless network communication protocol; a Wi-Fi transceivercircuit, configured to receive and transmit data from and to the accesspoint according to a Wi-Fi protocol; and a control circuit, coupled tothe interface, the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit, and theWi-Fi transceiver circuit, wherein the docking station devices areconfigured to be communicatively connected to each other through theirwireless sensor network transceiver circuits to form a mesh networkthrough which a first one of the plurality of docking station devices isconfigured to receive data through the interface, the wireless sensornetwork transceiver circuit, and/or Wi-Fi transceiver circuit and thentransmit the received data to a second one of the plurality of dockingstation devices; and a backend server configured to transmit a selectingsignal to at least one of the plurality of docking station devicesthrough the mesh network to select at least one of the plurality of thedocking station devices as at least one hub node, wherein the at leastone hub node is configured to be communicatively connected to the accesspoint, in response to transmission of an activating signal from thecontrol circuit of the at least one hub node to the Wi-Fi transceivercircuit, wherein the first one of the plurality of docking stationdevices is configured to transmit, via the access point, the receiveddata to another device located outside of the mesh network.
 2. Themanagement system of claim 1, further comprising the backend serverconfigured to transmit a grouping signal to the plurality of dockingstation devices through the mesh network to divide the plurality ofdocking station devices into a plurality of groups, each of which hasthe docking station devices of less than N to form the mesh network. 3.The management system of claim 2, wherein the backend server isconfigured to generate the grouping signal according to a spatialdatabase, the spatial database comprising distance and angular data ofthe plurality of docking station devices.
 4. The management system ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one hub node is configured to beautomatically selected by the backend server by an algorithm accordingto strength and relay hops of a wireless signal received by each dockingstation device.
 5. The management system of claim 1, wherein, if anumber of the at least one hub node is smaller than a specified minimumnumber, the backend server is configured to select one or more of thedocking station devices as new hub node(s).
 6. The management system ofclaim 1, wherein, if any of the at least one hub node has a transmissionloading greater than a transmission threshold, the backend server isconfigured to select one or more of the docking station devices as newhub node(s).
 7. The management system of claim 5, wherein, if any of theat least one hub node has a transmission loading greater than atransmission threshold, the backend server is configured to select oneor more of the docking station devices as the new hub node(s).
 8. Adocking station device, utilized for forming a mesh network, the dockingstation device comprising: an interface, configured to couple one orplural electronic devices; a wireless sensor network transceivercircuit, configured to receive and transmit data from and to at leastone or plural other docking station device primarily according to ashort-distance or low-energy wireless network communication protocol; aWi-Fi transceiver circuit, configured to receive and transmit data fromand to an access point according to a Wi-Fi protocol; and a controlcircuit, coupled to the interface, the wireless sensor networktransceiver circuit, and the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit, wherein thedocking station device is configured to be communicatively connected toat least one auxiliary docking station device through the wirelesssensor network transceiver circuit to form the mesh network throughwhich the docking station device receives data through the interface,the wireless sensor network transceiver circuit, and/or Wi-Fitransceiver circuit and then transmits the received data to the at leastone auxiliary docking station device, wherein the docking station deviceis further configured to receive a selecting signal from a backendserver through the mesh network to be selected as a hub node, thecontrol circuit of which is configured to transmit an activating signalto the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit so as to be communicatively connectedto an access point configured to receive and transmit data according toa Wi-Fi protocol, wherein the docking station device configured totransmit, via the access point, the received data to another devicelocated outside of the mesh network.
 9. The docking station device ofclaim 8, wherein the docking station device is further configured to begrouped, in response to receipt of a grouping signal from the backendserver through the mesh network, under a plurality of groups, each ofwhich has the docking station devices of less than N to form the meshnetwork, N is a positive integer.
 10. The docking station device ofclaim 9, wherein the grouping signal is generated by the backend serveraccording to a spatial database comprising distance and angular data ofthe docking station device and the at least one auxiliary dockingstation device.
 11. The docking station device of claim 8, wherein thehub node is configured to be automatically selected by the backendserver by an algorithm according to strength and relay hops of awireless signal received by each docking station device.
 12. The dockingstation device of claim 8, wherein the docking station device is furtherconfigured to receive a selecting signal, through the mesh network fromthe backend server which determines that a number of the at least onehub node is smaller than a specified minimum number, to be selected as ahub node, the control circuit of which is configured to transmit anactivating signal to the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit so as to becommunicatively connected to the access point.
 13. The docking stationdevice of claim 8, wherein the docking station device is furtherconfigured to receive a selecting signal, through the mesh network fromthe backend server which determines that any of the at least one hubnode has a transmission loading greater than a transmission threshold,to be selected as a hub node, the control circuit of which is configuredto transmit an activating signal to the Wi-Fi transceiver circuit so asto be communicatively connected to the access point.
 14. The dockingstation device of claim 12, wherein the docking station device isfurther configured to receive a selecting signal, through the meshnetwork from the backend server which determines that any of the atleast one hub node has a transmission loading greater than atransmission threshold, to be selected as a hub node, the controlcircuit of which is configured to transmit an activating signal to theWi-Fi transceiver circuit so as to be communicatively connected to theaccess point.